World-Class Archery Center Opens in Hamilton County
Hamilton County Parks Deputy Director Chris Stice talks to Kate Burkhardt of Hamilton County Tourism Inc. about the targets at the new Koteewi Sport and Target Archery Center
Archery enthusiasts should be excited about the grand opening of the new Koteewi Sport and Target Archery Center in Hamilton County.
Officially opening June 6, the archery range is unlike any other facility in Indiana. The range will be an Olympic-caliber facility that will draw archers from not only Indiana, but throughout America.
Anchored by a 5000 square-foot building that houses offices, a pro shop and classroom space, it is surrounded by covered shooting houses on three ranges. There is a 32-position 30-yard practice range with static and moveable targets and two 90-meter ranges with 64 shooting stations. There is also a 10-acre 3D archery range in the woods bordering White river that features a rotating cast of 20 to 30 targets.
According to Chris Stice, Deputy Director of the Hamilton County Parks Department, most of the work was done by Parks Department employees to save money. “We broke ground in 2013 and are doing most of this in-house. That helps us with our portion of the matching grant,” he said, referring to grants that helped bring the facility to fruition.
One of the covered shooting positions on the 90-meter archery range. With two of the international-distance ranges, a total of 64 shooters can be accommodated at the same time
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has worked closely with the department. “The idea for this facility originated with Al Patterson (Parks Director) and the DNR of the need for an archery facility in Central Indiana. We found that there were grants available so we moved ahead,” he noted.
The pro shop will be operated by Tony Girt of Anderson, a well-known figure in the Central Indiana archery community. The shop will offer bows, supplies and professional bow tuning services. The center also has indoor restrooms and a covered picnic area.
The classroom portion of the building will be used for archery safety and educational classes such as Indiana Hunters Education. “We have lots of support from the DNR for education programs,” Stice noted.
The family-focused grand opening on will be held on Saturday, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On hand will be Frank Addington “The Aspirin Buster” and Guiness record holder Randy Oitker to demonstrate precision shooting techniques. Experienced archers can take advantage of free range time and visitors can borrow a bow to try their hand at archery. There will also be prize giveaways, a climbing wall and other activities.
Stice looks over the retail space in the range building
The facility already has an archery tournament under its belt and has a busy schedule of competition on tap. “We can host a pretty large tournament,” Stice said, highlighting that the facility was built to international specifications to possibly lure the Olympic tryouts to Indiana.
The final phase of the center would be an indoor range. “We don’t have any plans or a budget but the demand is huge, based on the number of folks who knocked on our door this winter and asked to shoot,” Stice said.
For more information visit http://koteewiArchery.com or Hamilton County Parks at (317) 770-4400